英语名篇诵读 知识之树

A Tree of Knowledge

知识之树

Carl Sagan(卡尔·萨根)

There was a particular tree of which we were not to partake , a tree of knowledge. Knowledge and understanding and wisdom were forbidden to us in this story. We were to be kept ignorant. But we couldn't help ourselves. We were starving for knowledge — created hunger, you might say. This was the origin of all our troubles. In particular, it is why we no longer live in a garden: We found out too much. So long as we were incurious and obedient, I imagine, we could console ourselves with our importance and centrality , and tell ourselves that we were the reason the Universe was made. As we began to indulge our curiosity, though, to explore, to learn how the Universe really is, we expelled ourselves from Eden. Angels with a flaming sword were set as sentries at the gates of Paradise to bar our return. The gardeners became exiles and wanderers. Occasionally we mourn that lost world, but that, it seems to me, is maudlin and sentimental . The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life's meaning. We long for a Parent to care for us, to forgive us our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal. On behalf of Earthlife, I urge that, with full knowledge of our limitations, we vastly increase our knowledge of the Solar System and then begin to settle other worlds.

曾经有一棵特别的树，其果实我们不能吃，那就是知识之树。在这个故事中，知识、理解和智慧对我们都是禁品。我们身处无知中，但我们不能自已。我们渴望知识——这造成了饥饿，你也许会说。这就是我们所有麻烦的根源。这尤其是我们不能住在伊甸园里的原因：我们知道的太多了。我猜想，只要我们不好奇，百依百顺，我们在伊甸园里就会有头有脸，说一不二，悠然自得，陶陶然说宇宙因我们而诞生。而当我们受好奇心驱使，去探索，去认识宇宙的奥秘，便被逐出了伊甸园。天使们手执冒着烈焰的利剑，守卫着天堂的大门，不许我们返回。昔日的园丁成了流放者和流浪者。偶尔，我们会对那个失去的乐园感到悲伤，但那纯属感情脆弱，多愁善感。我们人生的意义，我们这个星球的意义，只能由我们自身的智慧和勇气来决定，我们自己才是生命意义的守护者。我们渴望有父亲或母亲关爱我们，宽恕我们的过失，把我们从幼稚的错误中解救出来。但是知识总比无知可取，信奉无情真理远胜于一则让人宽心的神话。如果我们渴望某个重要目的，那就让我们给自己找到一个值得追求的目标。我代表地球生命恳请，要充分认识我们的局限性，大力增加我们有关太阳系的知识，然后向着其他星球进军。